Box for dispensing stacked sheets



Oct. 31, 1967 c. H. WATKINS 3,349,959

BOX FOR DISPENSING STACKED SHEETS Filed Sept. 14, 1966 c cu. H. WATKINS BY v"! I Oct. 31, 1967 c, W K 3,349,959

BOX FOR DISPENSING STACKED SHEETS Filed Sept. 14, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,Ecu. H. VA rxms BY a A'ffOlENEY United States Patent 3,349,959 BOX FOR DISPENSING STACKED SHEETS Cecil H. Watkins, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Canadian International Paper Company, Montreal, Quebee, Canada, a corporation of Canada Filed Sept. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 579,258 4 Claims. (Cl. 22148) The present invention relates to dispenser boxes and more particularly to boxes for dispensing interfolded paper products such as facial tissues and the like. This is a continuation-in-part of my copending patent application Serial No. 460,213, filed June 1, 1965, now abandoned.

Disposable facial tissues are in widespread use at the present time. Such tissues are usually sold in paperboard folding cartons or boxes containing several hundred tissues and having apertures or slots through which individual tissues can be withdrawn as desired.

The paperboard cartons or boxes heretofore available have not been wholly satisfactory, particularly with respect to withdrawing tissues located a substantial distance below the top opening and with respect to withdrawing at a single time and as a unit a group of tissues.

The principal object of the invention has been the provision of a novel and improved dispenser box for dispensing interfolded facial tissues and like interfolded paper products, e.g., napkins and towels.

Another object of the invention has been the provision of such a box which affords easy and reliable pop-up dispensing of tissues one at a time, both when the box is full and when it is partially or even nearly completely emptied. By pop-up dispensing is meant that when one tissue is Withdrawn from the dispensing opening, the next tissue is automatically partially withdrawn from the box through the opening so as to be readily accessible for withdrawal by the user.

Yet another object of the invention has been the provision of such a box which is adapted for the easy and convenient removal of a group of tissues as a unit.

A further object of the invention has been the provision of such a box which is especially adapted for use in the so-called household pack size in which a large number of tissues, e.g., 1500, are packaged.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description of the invention taken in connection with the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sealed paperboard box embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the box of FIG. 1 with a perforated flap removed and a tissue being disposed through the resulting opening;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the box of FIG. 2 with the cover removed, the cover being inserted in the box as a dispenser board;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the box of FIG. 3 with the dispenser board removed;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, the reference numeral 10 denotes a rectangular box, preferably formed from a blank of paperboard or like material, and having a top Wall 11, opposed end walls 12 and 13, opposed front and rear walls 14 and 15 and a bottom wall 16.

The top wall 11 is formed by horizontal panels 17 and 18 projecting from front wall 14 and rear wall 15, respectively and by horizontal panels 19 and 20 projecting from side walls 12 and 13 respectively. The panels 19 and 20 are best shown in FIG. 6. As is best shown in FIG. 5, the panels 17 and 18 overlap adjacent one side wall of the top 11, with the panel 18 overlying the panel 17. The overlapping portions of panels 17 and 18 are preferably adhesively joined. The panels 19 and 20 underlie and are adhesively joined to the panels 17-18 at opposite ends of the top wall, the panels 17, 18, 19 and 20 forming a unitary top wall 11 for the box 10-. The panels 19 and 20 are preferably coextensive in width with the side walls 12 and 13 and extend inwardly nearly to legs 22 and 23 of an endless line of perforations 24.

Endless line of perforations 24 comprises legs 22 and 23 and legs 25 and 26 which extend parallel to the box front and rear walls. The legs 22 and 23 may be disposed at an angle, as shown, so that the endless line of perforations 24 is generally in the shape of a parallelogram. The legs of the line of perforations 24 are preferably joined by rounded corners so that when the line 24 is broken the resulting opening 27 has straight side, front and rear walls and rounded corners as is best shown in FIG. 4.

The line of perforations 24 is broken by the user, as by exerting finger pressure inwardly of the line, which results in breaking of the perforations 24 and permits removal of flap 28 which is bounded by perforations 24. Removal of flap 28 leaves opening 27. The opening 27 is preferably centrally located in top wall 11. Panel 17 preferably has a cut-out portion 17' which permits flap 28 to lie entirely in panel 18.

The bottom Wall 16 is formed from horizontal panels 29 and 30 which project inwardly from front and rear walls 14 and 15, respectively. Panels 29 and 30 overlap and are adhesively joined to provide a unitary bottom 16. Preferably panel extensions of the side walls 12 and 13 similar or identical to the panels 19 and 20 are provided and are adhesively joined to the panels 29 and 30.

The principal present use of the invention is in connection with interfolded facial tissues and hence the invention will be described in connection with such tissues. However, the principles of the invention are applicable to other interfolded products, e.g., paper napkins. The box may be filled with a stack of interfolded or interleaved facial tissues T, as shown in FIG. 5.

The line of perforations 24 and the resulting opening 27 whlch is exposed when flap 28 is removed are provided dispensing of the tissues. When the flap 28 is removed, the user may reach through the opening seize the free end of the uppermost tissue and withdraw the tissue from the box through the opening 27.

Since opening 27 affords a restricted area or constricting neck, the tissue will be gathered together as it passes through the opening 27 and the resulting frictional engagement of the leading tissue with the next tissue, which is interfolded therewith, will cause the next tissue to follow the leading tissue to a position partially withdrawn from the box. In other words, as the leading tissue is pulled clear, the following tissue will pop-up ready in turn to be withdrawn. As each tissue is withdrawn the following tissue similarly will pop-up ready to be withdrawn.

As the level of the tissues remaining in the box falls, the extent of frictional engagement between the leading tissue being withdrawn and the succeeding tissue which is to pop up decreases, resulting in ditficulty in obtaining proper pop-up of succeeding tissues. As a result when a tissue is withdrawn, the succeeding tissue may fall back without being caught and held in the pop-up position by the walls of opening 27. In accordance with the invention, this difficulty is avoided by using the cover section as a dispenser board which may be inserted in the box and may be pushed downwardly as the tissues are used up.

The box 10 illustrated has a cover section 31, which comprises top wall 11, vertical flaps or panels 32 and 33 located at the upper ends of front wall 14 and rear wall 15, respectively, side gussets 34 and 35 located at the top of side walls 12 and side gussets 36 and 37 located at the top of side wall 13. Cover section 31, including flaps 32 and 33 and gussets 34-37, is bounded by an endless line of perforations 38 which permits easy removal of the entire cover section 31 by severing the line of perforations 38. The panels 32 and 33 may be of any convenient height and the ends of panels 32 and 33 are preferably inclined so that the line of perforations 38 is located within front and rear walls 14 and 15 and meets side walls 12 and 13 a short distance, e.g., one-half inch, below top wall 11.

The gussets 34-37 are preferably triangular in shape and should be sufiiciently large to afford reinforcement and additional structural strength to the cover section 31 when used as a dispenser board and also to provide frictional contact with the side walls of the box. Typically the gussets may each be one-half inch high by one-inch long.

As tissues are dispensed from box 10 the level of tissues falls. As the tisue level falls the distance between the top of the stack of tissues and the dispensing opening 27 increases. When the top of the stack of tissues falls appreciably below top wall 11, the pop-up action will tend to become unreliable or will fail to work. The user then severs the line of perforations 38 to separate cover section 31 from box 10. Typically the cover section will be separated when the height of the stack of tissues falls to about two inches below the box top wall 11.

Cover section 31 is inserted in the open top of box 10, as shown in FIG. 3. The flaps 32 and 33 are inserted between the stack of tissues and the box front and rear walls, respectively, gussets 34 and 35 are inserted between the stack of tissues and box side wall 12, and gussets 36 and 37 are inserted between the stack of tissues and box side wall 13. The uppermost tissue is then withdrawn through dispensing opening 27 and the succeeding tissue pops-up ready for withdrawal, as previously described.

Since the length and width of box top 11 are slightly greater than the length and width of the box opening (by reason of the thickness of the paper walls), the cover section 31 will tend to stay at whatever location it is placed in the open box. Frictional contact between flaps 36 and 37 and the box front and rear walls and frictional contact between gussets 34-37 and the box side walls assist this action and afford substantial stability to the cover section 31 when placed inside the box 10, e.g., as shown in FIG. 3. Similarly the cover section 31 will not be accidentally pulled loose as tissues are withdrawn through opening 27.

As the level of tissues in box 10 gradually drops the cover section 31 may be pushed down to follow the stack level, but this is only necessary at intervals since proper pop-up dispensing will occur until the tissue level falls substantially below the dispenser board. The box height may if desired, be divided into severable sections. The only practical limit to the number of sections which may be provided is the practical overall height of the box (and number of tissues packaged therein) which will be found acceptable to consumers.

The pop-up dispensing described involves withdrawal of tissues one at a time through dispensing opening 27. It sometimes is desirable to withdraw a group of tissues as a unit from the box. For this purpose the dispenser board cover section 31 may be withdrawn from the open end of the box, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, permitting withdrawal of as many tissues at one time as is desired. The cover section 31 may then be reinserted into the box for further pop-up dispensing.

If desired, the cover section 31 may be separated from the box by severing the line of perforations 38 before any tissues have been removed. This permits early withdrawal of a group of tissues as a unit. The cover section 31 may then be inserted in the open end of the box exactly as described above.

The principles of the invention are applicable also to bifolded tissues and the like which are not interleaved but which are severally interconnected by a weakened line.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof and in a specific use, various modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser box for stacked interfolded sheets of facial tissues and the like, comprising a rectangular box having top, bottom, end, front and rear walls, a first endless line of perforations centrally located in said top wall and defining a manually removable flap, the opening left in said top wall upon removal of said flap being a constructing passage for removal of successive sheets one by one and popup of succeeding sheets, and a second endless line of perforations extending completely around the periphery of said box and defining thereabove a removable cover section, said cover section including said entire top wall of said box, upper portions of said front and rear walls of said box extending completely across said front and rear walls and upper portions of said box end walls adjacent respective sides of said end walls, said cover section, upon removal thereof, being insertable in the resulting open end of said box and being retainable at any selected height in said box by frictional engagement with said end, front and rear walls of said box, said upper portions of said box end walls forming stiffening gussets at the ends of said cover section and being integral with the respective adjacent upper portions of said front and rear walls.

2. A dispenser box for stacked sheets of paper and the like, comprising a rectangular box having top, bottom, end, front and rear walls, a first endless line of severance in said top wall defining a manually removable flap, the opening left in said top wall upon removal of said flap being a constricting passage for removal of successive sheets one by one and pop-up of succeeding sheets, and a second endless line of severance extending completely around the periphery of said box and defining thereabove a removable cover section, said second endless line of severance extending completely across said front and rear walls beneath said top wall and extending partially across said end walls beneath said top wall at each side of said end walls whereby said removable cover section includes said entire top wall, top portions of each of said front and rear walls extending completely across said front and rear walls and top portions of each of said end walls extending partially across said end walls at each side thereof, said top portions of said end walls forming stiffening gussets for said cover section, said cover section, upon removal thereof, being insertable' in the resulting open end of said box and being retainable at any selected height in said box by frictional engagement with said end, front and rear walls of said box.

3. A dispenser box as set forth in claim 2 in which said second line of severance in said front and rear walls is generally V-shaped and in which said second line of severance in said end walls is inclined steeply adjacent the sides of said end walls to make said gussets triangular in shape, said second line of severance in said end walls between said gussets coinciding substantially with the upper ends of said end walls.

3,349,959 5 6 4. A dispenser box as set forth in claim 2 in which References Cited said stilfening gussets are shaped substantially as right UNITED STATES PATENTS triangles each having one edge coinciding with the line of juncture of the corresponding end Wall With the ad- 5 5 8/1964 Wright 206-57 ja e t n f th front and rear Wall and having another 5 D78 19 Pherson 221 48 edge coinciding with the line of juncture of the corre 8/ 966 Eakens 221 48 sponding end wall with the top wall. WALTER SOBIN, Primary Examiner.

Dedication 3,3+L9,959.Oeci2 H. Watkins, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. BOX F OR DIS- PENSING STACKED SHEETS. Patent dated Oct. 31, 1967. Dedication filed Dec. 17, 1974, by the assignee, lv'zternational Paper Cmnpa'ny. Hereby dedicates to the Public the entire remaining term of said patent.

[Oficial Gazette Apm'l 22, 1975.] 

1. A DISPENSER BOX FOR STACKED INTERFOLDED SHEETS OF FACIAL TISSUES AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR BOX HAVING TOP, BOTTOM, END, FRONT AND REAR WALLS, A FIRST ENDLESS LINE OF PERFORATIONS CENTRALLY LOCATED IN SAID TOP WALL AND DEFINING A MANUALLY REMOVABLE FLAP, THE OPENING LEFT IN SAID TOP WALL UPON REMOVAL OF SAID FLAP BEING A CONSTRUCTING PASSAGE FOR REMOVAL OF SUCCESSIVE SHEETS ONE BY ONE AND POP-UP OF SUCCEEDING SHEETS, AND A SECOND ENDLESS LINE OF PERFORATIONS EXTENDING COMPLETELY AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID BOX AND DEFINING THEREABOVE A REMOVABLE COVER SECTION, SAID COVER SECTION INCLUDING SAID ENTIRE TOP WALL OF SAID BOX, UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS OF SAID BOX EXTENDING COMPLETELY ACROSS SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS AND UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID BOX END WALLS ADJACENT RESPECTIVE SIDES OF SAID END WALLS, SAID COVER SECTION, UPON REMOVAL THEREOF, BEING INSERTABLE IN THE RESULTING OPEN END OF SAID BOX AND BEING RETAINABLE AT ANY SELECTED HEIGHT IN SAID BOX BY FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID END, FRONT AND REAR WALLS OF SAID BOX, SAID UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID BOX END WALLS FORMING STIFFENING GUSSETS AT THE ENDS OF SAID COVER SECTION AND BEING INTEGRAL WITH THE RESPECTIVE ADJACENT UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS. 